If there’s anything a WIAL Action Learning coach remembers from their certification program, it is the power of WIAL’s Ground Rule #1: Statements can only be made in response to questions (and anyone can ask a question to anyone else). This ground rule is what makes WIAL Action Learning so powerful, and so different from other forms of Action Learning. Read More

It started as just a simple demonstration of what action learning is all about. But after the session, clarity, and certainty for a full-blown mission that could potentially help improve the lives of many Ukrainian mothers and children refugees started. Read More

“The first time I witnessed someone facilitating an action learning session, I felt this is what I really want to do. What I saw was everything that I believe in—people talking about different difficult things, people asking questions, people seeing each other as equal,” she said. And so, from a human resources consultant, traveling around the world and helping companies and their people, she has set into a new career path—one that has re-ignited her passion for people development and led her to a fulfilling venture more than anything else. Read More

Old habits are hard to break. Close to two decades after the Philippine Department of Education implemented the School-Based Management (SBM) policy, schools were still struggling to unlearn decades worth of habits and ways of working that resulted from a centralized system. Read More

For the last 2 years I’ve been studying for my Masters in Coaching and Mentoring with Oxford Brookes, which I completed and successful passed in September 2021. My research looked at the use of Action Learning within Team Coaching. I wanted to share with you some of the findings from my research. In this article I share with you what a team coaching model using action learning could look like. Read More

I see opportunity to implement Action Learning in K-12 education at the student level,teacher level, and administrative level. This brief article will cite recent researchWith a history in education since 2000, I see an enormous opportunity to implement Action Learning (AL) within K-12 education and Higher Education. In fact, my doctoral dissertation focused on educational leadership through the lens of AL. The guiding research question asked, What, if any, impact on a building level administrator’s leadership practices result after their participation in an Action Learning program? Read More

I’ve been conducting an unscientific experiment when I present in different cities. The nature of the experiment is that I ask folks in the audience – Can you tell me what I should see while I’m in your city? I get answers along the lines of ‘the zoo’, the museum, the mall, a particular restaurant or monument.Eventually, someone catches on and realizes that I did not ask ‘What should I seewhile I am in your city?’ I simply asked ‘Can you tell me what I should see while I am in your city?’ At this point I will typically get the response that I am seeking – YES! Read More

Individual coaching has undoubtedly made a profound and major contribution to personal and leadership development around the world for many decades.
However, the world has become too complex, competitive, and fast changing for single leaders to deliver corporate success. Organisations will in future need dynamic, agile and collaborative teams with the ability to adapt to uncertainty. This will require a continuous learning culture, new thinking, and a solid team coaching regimen. Read More

Globally, we are dealing with a troubling pandemic which has been partially covered by the media for a long time. Today, there are millions of young people worldwide who have lost hope, are depressed, and even considering suicide. They no longer know who to turn to, to discuss their problems and worries. People are often too busy with their personal matters and, therefore are not able to provide these youth with advice and support. Read More

Year 2020 was not just a year after 2019, but a year full of changes in all of our lives. The Covid-19 pandemic had brought the “New Normal” lifestyles into all walks of life. As the pandemic continues to spread across the world, more people are being affected physically, mentally and financially. Read More

“Collaboration is the physical act of making new and unprecedented connections. When two or more people work together for a shared goal, the result of the work is different from the sum of the contributions.” – Benjamin Hardy. There are many methods of group work that aim to encourage the exchange of knowledge, collaboration and collective intelligence based on dialogue. Many people ask me what the main differences are, especially regarding two of them: Action Learning and Co-development. I believe that one of the reasons for these questions comes from the fact that Action Learning was a source of inspiration for Adrian Payette and Claude Champagne, creators of Co-development and, therefore with many similarities. Read More

How could a problem that’s been around for years be solved in 90 minutes? How could different groups, who might have been at loggerheads in the past, work together to solve a common problem? The answer may be summed up in two words: Action Learning (AL).  I’ve been a professional coach for years, and while I can work with individuals, working with groups has never been my cup of tea as an introvert. What I didn’t know was that I did not need a personality transplant to be able to work with groups. I just needed to learn a powerful tool that enabled people to work together, without requiring me to do the heavy lifting. Read More

One of the major breakthroughs of the past couple of years has been how issues of diversity, inclusion, and belonging have entered the mainstream public consciousness and become a key issue inside corporate corridors. In a recent Deloitte CEO survey, building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce was a top 3 challenge for 43% of CEOs. At Emerging World, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (DIBs) work has long been a feature of the immersive learning experiences we provide but its role is now changing. In the past we might have addressed it by including a session on Unconscious Bias in a programme.

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In the VUCA world, formal learning that equips learners with programmed knowledge extracted from the past is no longer sufficient. As Action Learning coaches, we appreciate how Action Learning supports leaders to deal with new unknowns through insightful questions and reflections. The process helps uncover new learning while taking actions and applying programmed knowledge. All happens simultaneously without delay. As an experienced practitioner of both Action Learning and Appreciative Inquiry (AI), I formulated an Action Learning process aligned with the essential strength-based principles to support clients.

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I do believe that Action Learning is one of the greatest approaches when it comes to solving a problem, but there is more. Once, about 6 years ago, I was a part of the group of Action Learning coaches that got together to solve a problem one of them had. It was an incredible experience: as if a team of superhumans went grocery shopping. It takes much less than they are truly capable of: but this did not discourage, it did the opposite, it inspired them. There was everything: enough pauses for listening and building on each other’s questions, lots of enthusiasm and grace in living it through.

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